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The 'gotcha' campaign

Throughout the 20 GOP debates, Romney has been the candidate most prepared to take down his rivals’ records. When Rick Perry threatened, Romney delivered fatal blows to the governor’s immigration record.

In October, when Gingrich whacked Romney for the individual mandate at the core of his Massachusetts health-care law, Romney replied with a tart, “Actually, Newt, we got the idea of an individual mandate from you.”

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And in Wednesday night’s CNN debate in Arizona, the Santorum offensive was thorough and concise. When Santorum mounted his most extensive health care attack of the night, a lengthy treatise of how the Massachusetts plan wouldn’t have been possible without federal funds, Romney cut him off at the knees with two words: “Arlen Specter.”

It was gotcha Romney at his best — using two words to force Santorum into a 262-word explanation that was, in the end, not helpful to his cause.

Santorum’s stumbling defense of his record in Thursday’s debate left Romney another opening he exploited at a tea party town hall here Thursday — he argued that Santorum is unprincipled, the very charge GOP opponents have now been throwing at Romney through two presidential cycles.

“One of the candidates last night spent most of the evening describing why it was he voted against his principles,” Romney said. “And he said, ‘You know, you gotta take it for the team now and then.’ My team is the people of the United States of America.”

And with Gingrich and now Santorum lacking the financial resources or discipline to respond in a significant way, Romney’s attacks are working.

The deconstruction of both rivals has followed the same pattern. Romney slowly builds a case, day by day, against the other guy’s problems.

With Santorum, the offensive began the day before the former Pennsylvania senator surprised Romney in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri:

— Feb. 6: The Romney campaign fired the first rounds of its Santorum oppo, conscripting former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty for an awkward conference call about Santorum’s “long history of pork-barrel spending.”

— Feb. 8: On the tarmac of the Atlanta airport the day after Romney’s triple loss, Romney sought to tether Santorum to the same argument that sunk Gingrich: they’re budget-busting Washington insiders. “Sen. Santorum and Speaker Gingrich, they are the very Republicans who acted like Democrats, and when Republicans act like Democrats, they lose,” he told reporters. “During their years, we spent more money than we were taking in.”

Readers' Comments (556)

"As his fortunes in the GOP race have shifted, Romney and his allies have spent vast amounts of time combing through, leaking and exploiting opposition research files to tear down all up-and-comers." - Team Politico/Obama

Yeah and Team Romney wants to thank all of Obama's MSM Super Wolf Pacs and Murdoch's media companies for showing us how its done.

No candidate for president of the United States has been attacked and smeared more than Mitt Romney.

We have had an "organized" attempt by the DNC and Obama's MSM Super Wolf Pacs to block Mitt Romney from getting the GOP nomination.

This "organized" attempt started the first week Mitt Romney launched his campaigned at the beginning of June 2011....

The DNC released two lying and misleading anti-Romney narratives........1. the Massachusetts was 47th in job creation while Mitt was govenor and ......2. the lying and misleading Detroit bailout narrative.

Team Poltico/Obama........did their part by releasing a series of stories on Mitt Romney as the"flawed candidate" which was lead by J MartinKOS of Politico...

"Gotcha campaign" is a very interesting analytical description of not really the puppets, but, moreso, MSM's organized theme where chorographed actors and actresses devise a narrative and a conclusion. A ROD of the NY Yankees can't even bat 1000, nor can You, or even Ron Paul but what he does attempt at the plate of truth sets well with me. He is honest, but the overtakers of the CFR are not. He's genuine, not a facade. Romney is a reluctant puppet with a self-described soul, therefore a little unstable as to actions he'll take. Sanitorium is ready to bomb today so he's allright, but that scourge the media hates says ' We need to follow the USC is "War Declaration" so I ask 'what is wrong with that?

Ron Paul - forever etched his MOL that he says is for us.. Why does MSM deride that?

Ron Paul cites George Washington - What's wrong with that?

Ron Paul says the Bill O Rights is for the People.. So what's wrong with that?

The real gotcha campaign is the media manipulation, Or at least their attempt and

so far it does not gee-haw with my views.

All Ye insider globalist can got to ****.. I deride you and despise You.

Romney is becoming known for his very odd comments. Probably none are odder than his declaration that his "team is the American people." Everyone expected to hear the truth: "My team is Wall Street and the One Percent." Or some variation of that truth: "My team is the corporate raiders and all others who have gamed the system to the max for personal advantage."

The Romney tanks are rolling over the landscape blasting Santorum wherever they go. The Romney air cover and assault team are carpet bombing Santorum from the air as well. When Wall Street and the Republican establishment want something, they aim to get it, no matter how many casualties are involved. Santorum, Gingrich, and yes, you too, Paul, should be counter-attacking -- on land and through the air. In Romney they have an extraordinarily vulnerable opponent, a man with so many Achilles' heels he begins to look like a heel. I know they don't have Romney & Wall Street wealth, but his rivals fail so regularly to go hard after him that I sometimes wonder if there isn't some unconscious homo-erotic dynamic at work that tenderizes them toward him. Though Romney is probably the safest of the four inadequate men (in terms of America's well-being), I say hit Romney hard with the truths of his life!

I think Santorum's authenticity and genuine red-meat mentality will make him less vulnerable to team Romney's all-out assault, and Romney is not safe from shrewd Newt, who is incubating some devious strategy to take him down as Santorum slugs it out in Michigan and Arizona.

It's FRIDAY, and time to remind everyone of the MISS PERCEPTIONS "LET'S ALL BE FREINDS" CIVILITY CAMPAIGN........

Check your friend requests to see if Miss Perceptions has sent one to you!

Go to your profile, look on the right side of the screen and find the link to check your friend requests...........

And if you have one from Miss P...... please accept it!

And if I have forgotten to send one to you, SEND ONE TO ME...........

I'll accept them all, regardless of ideology..........

Whether you're a left wing Chicago style Obama loving brown shirt thug who wants to tax the 1% in order to pay for contraceptives to be placed in the drinking water at Catholic universities..............

Or a right wing knuckle dragging neanderthal throw back who wants to imprison women who use contraceptives and then engage in sexual activity for purposes other than procreation...............

I will accept all incoming friend requests..........

WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD ONE FRIEND REQUEST AT A TIME!

And Mister Perceptions........... your request has been pending since July............ come on honey, accept it!

It was a classic gotcha moment. It was also a snapshot of the new Romney: The “gotcha” candidate.

It's the best thing Mitt Romney has going for him, because he's without conservative governing creds. The author of RomneyCare, and the guy whose advisors HELPED write ObamaCare, has some SERIOUS credibility problems with the conservative base.

If it weren't for tens of MILLIONS in attack ads and "gotcha" moments, Mitt would have already dropped out. Moderates don't inspire people.

Every day I come here to see smears upon smears against Republicans with the exception of the time POLITICO tried to defend Democrats by incorrectly telling us that Obama's approval ratings were going up and the economy was getting stronger.

The moment we called out POLITICO's false advertising that article got killed in less than 4 hours. Other than that, POLITICO is all about smearing Republicans.

Perceptions, what is your problem dude? Everyday I come here you are hating on Santorum. Did he vote against a favorite pet project of yours? Romney is nothing but a lighter version of obysmal. If you want obysmal reelected to a second term (which only God knows why any man, woman, or child would ever want that) then keep supporting his flunky.

Santorum represents real change, faith in God, and love of country. He is going to win Michigan and he is going to get the nomination. Libbers are going to have to come to grips with that fact!

Mitt the Twit gleefully attacks, slanders, and flat out lies about his primary opponents...BUT...

...if he is able to get the nomination...he will not treat Li'l Barry anywhere near as forcefully.

Mitt will gush about "what a nice guy" Obama is...he is "just confused"...he will run like the blazes from Li'l Barry's associations with Islamists, Rev Wright, Ayers, Rezko, Blago, etc. He will avoid Fast and Furious, Solyandra, etc. etc.etc

In other words...he will follow that proven path of FAILURE that his mentor...The Maverick...followed..